Requiem for a Dream
by lexieconextreme
Summary: Lucy's used to Natsu and Happy staying at her place. That's 'normal' now. What isn't normal is Natsu crying in his sleep, dreaming memories, and finally remembering where he came from. Natsu remembers his home. AU, eventual NaLu. (ON HIATUS)
1. Book One: Memory, Ch1

**A/N: I haven't actually finished the anime yet, just fyi. I'm aware of Natsu's true past, but I haven't gotten there yet. I'm only on episode 138. Think of this story as a sort of AU, if you will.**

 **I hope you guys will like this! My first Fairy Tail project. I hope it's not too terrible.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters within.**

* * *

Lucy wasn't surprised when she came home to see Natsu asleep on her bed. It happened too often to be truly surprising, or even irritating, and Lucy had given up trying to keep the Dragon Slayer out. It never worked.

So instead of waking her friend up with a violent kick in the pants out the door, Lucy simply pulled the blanket up around his shoulders, climbed into her pajamas, and slept on the couch instead. Much simpler for the exhausted Celestial Wizard.

The first surprise Lucy _did_ receive that night was feeling Happy's tiny paws on her arm, shaking gently, though urgently.

"Lucy, please wake up! It's Natsu!"

She heard the fear and worry in Happy's voice, and that was what truly woke her up. Sliding off the couch before she had even really opened her eyes, Lucy stumbled over to the bed. Quickly rubbing sleep crud out of her eyes, the mage stared down at Natsu, surprised for the second time that night.

"Is he..." Lucy started, unwilling to believe what she was seeing. "Crying?"

Happy nodded, paws held up to his mouth in worry, like he wanted to be stress-eating.

"Has he ever done this before?" Lucy asked, kneeling by the edge of the bed. She put her hand on his shoulder, feeling the soft tremors that rocked the Dragon Slayer's body every few seconds. Tears welled beneath his eyelids, but even in sleep, Natsu didn't want to cry. There were a few tracks down his cheeks, but not many.

Either way, it was concerning.

Happy shook his head. "No, nothing like this has ever happened before!" Tears of his own welled up in the Exceed's eyes, falling freer than Natsu allowed his to. "What's going on, Lucy?!"

"I don't know, Happy," Lucy replied quietly, sadness in her heart. Never in her life had she expected to see Natsu crying. "Have you tried waking him up?"

Happy shook his head, and Lucy gently shook the Dragon Slayer's shoulder. "Natsu," she said softly. "Hey, Natsu! Wake up."

Slowly, black eyes opened, staring at her in bewildered, hazy confusion. A hand reached up from beneath the blanket to wipe at the salt-water that now freely trickled down his face.

"Why am I crying?" Both Happy and Lucy winced at the obvious crack in his voice, but Natsu seemed not to notice. He sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Lucy sat back on her heels, watching as the fire mage put his head in his hands, then, as the third surprise for the night, began to shake.

"Why am I crying?" He repeated, softer. Brokenly. "Why do I feel so sad?"

Lucy's heart about broke right then and there, and, sitting on the bed beside Natsu, put her arm around his shoulders. She didn't miss how he leaned into her, like he needed the support, the warmth. But she didn't say anything about it.

"Do you remember what you were dreaming about?" Happy asked, tears in his voice. He was on Natsu's other side, clinging gently to his arm.

"I..." Hesitation, then, "A woman. I was dreaming about a woman. She had nice eyes, and a gentle voice."

"What did she look like?" Lucy asked gently.

The confused, fazed sadness entered his eyes again. "I don't-" He cut himself off. His hand rose, absentmindedly, to his hair.

"Her hair!" Natsu exclaimed. "Her hair was pink like mine!"

Lucy raised an eyebrow, hoping this was a joke. Not Virgo again.

"And no, it wasn't Virgo," Natsu said suddenly, as if reading her thoughts. He glanced over at her. "It was someone else. Her eyes were dark gray, almost black. And she was older." Silent again. Lucy let it be, and Happy, wisely, did as well.

"I think- I think she might have been..." Natsu trailed off again. Lucy waited, but didn't rush him.

"What was your mom like?"

To say Lucy was caught off guard by the seemingly random question was an understatement. At first, she floundered for words for a moment. Then, upon finding them, said, "She was warm, and caring and safe. She was kind to everyone she met, and loving to me and my dad." Lucy fell silent, then, "For the longest time, she was home."

Natsu's head fell back into his hands, and his shoulders seemed to wilt beneath Lucy's arm.

"I think the woman might have been _my_ mom."

* * *

 **A/N: Please review? Let me know what I can do to make this better! More to come soon, I hope!**


	2. Book One: Memory, Ch2

The night before had been unsettling to say the least. After Natsu's seeming breakdown, he'd gone quietly back to sleep, holding Happy close and clutching Lucy's hand. Lucy hadn't bothered trying to go back to sleep herself, because she knew it would never come. Not after his bombshell.

" _I think the woman might have been_ my _mom."_

Fifteen or more years of not remembering where he'd come from, and it came back _now_? Why?

Lucy wondered vaguely whether all those knocks on the head had finally stirred something loose, but that didn't seem quite right. However, maybe it didn't matter. All that did was that Natsu was finally remembering something, and it had shaken him up so much he'd actually _cried_.

Lucy didn't know how she felt about that. It had revealed a tender side of Natsu that she hadn't even known he had. Of course, she knew he could be kind, when he chose to be. He could be kind and sweet and stupid, but never... like _that_.

His mother, hmm? Actually, Lucy had never really thought about it before. To her, and no doubt to Natsu, there had never really been life before Igneel. That was just where he had started, and it was the only thing he remembered. Igneel was the only thing Lucy had ever heard about Natsu's life before Fairy Tail. She wondered what Natsu's mother would be like. From his question about her own mother, Lucy could assume Natsu's held at least some semblance to her description. Warm and caring and home.

She wondered what Natsu had seen in that dream. Maybe it was just a memory of a normal day, like any other. The normal kind of life Natsu had never really had. But maybe the conditions hadn't been all that great. Somehow, Natsu had ended up in those woods where Igneel would find him. With a mother that was possibly like her own, how would that have happened?

The most obvious answer was harsh, and Lucy winced just thinking about it. Maybe his mother was dead. It would be worse for Natsu, that was for sure.

What was next? If Lucy knew anything about her Dragon Slaying friend, he would set out in search of his lost mother. She smiled just thinking about it. Natsu was not one to give up on his family and friends, and if he could possibly find a way to locate and help his mom, then he was sure as hell going to do it. And he would have Happy and Lucy by his side along the way.

Lucy smiled, glancing out the window. She could see the sun coming up over Magnolia's skyline, now. She was rarely awake to witness the sunrise, but Lucy was glad she'd never gone to sleep again. It was truly something to remember.

Sha glanced back at Natsu, who was beginning to stir in his sleep. He hadn't cried again throughout the night, and Lucy had a feeling that it was because she and Happy were close.

Natsu's eyes blinked open, but this time, instead of sadness, there was determination. Lucy had a feeling she already knew what it was for. He stared at her for a moment, a little confusion shifting over his face.

"Didn't you sleep at all?" Natsu asked, sitting up and rubbing his face. Lucy shook her head in response.

"No, I didn't. I had some stuff to think about." She smiled up at him. "I can always sleep later."

Natsu smiled back, going silent and subconsciously petting Happy's head while the Exceed slept.

"Lucy?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah?"

"I think I want to go find her. My mom, I mean."

Lucy smiled sadly, gently squeezing his hand. "I thought you would."

A few more minutes of silence. Then, "Do you wanna come with me?"

"Definitely."

"What about me?" A very sleepy Happy asked blearily. "Do I get to come?"

Natsu laughed. "'Course you do, pal! Where I would I go without ya?"

"Yay!" A few more seconds, and the cat was out again. Lucy sighed, shaking her head, and Natsu chuckled softly. It was a welcome sound, and much more normal than tears. The two wizards watched the sun rise for a few more minutes before Natsu spoke again.

"We probably need to tell Gramps what we're doing before we just leave. We're not going on a job, so he'll have no way of knowing."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "I think so too." She made a face. "It's gonna be fun explaining what we're up to with the others around."

Natsu made a face as well. "I don't really want the others to come with us. I don't know why, but this feels... different. Like something I need to do mostly on my own and not have Frostbite and freakin' Titania following along."

"But you don't mind me and Happy coming with you?" Lucy asked skeptically. Natsu grinned down at her.

"No. That's why I said _mostly_ on my own. Happy's comin' because he's been by side all the time from the moment he hatched, and I honestly can't imagine doing something like this without him."

"And me?" Lucy prodded.

Natsu frowned, bemused. "I don't really know. I just feel like I want you next to me when... when I find my mom."

Lucy smiled, and Natsu's warm hand squeezed her own. The two watched the sun rise until it was well over Magnolia.

* * *

"You're doing _what_?"

The fourth/sixth master of Fairy Tail blinked tiredly at the two wizards from where he sat on his bed. Natsu and Lucy had headed into the guild early to talk to Makarov before most of the others would arrive.

Happy sat quietly on Natsu's shoulder, sleepily munching on a fish from his pack. It was well before the time he was accustomed to waking up, and the poor cat _had_ had a rather late night.

"We're going on an outside mission," Natsu answered, rocking on his heels. It didn't take a telepath to realize that he was quite nervous, though Lucy wasn't sure what about. He would egg Laxus on and on until he got the fight he desired and never sweat it, but somehow, talking to Master Makarov did? Perhaps it was simply the subject, the goal of the mission. That would make the most sense.

Makarov's eyebrow rose. "And?" He prompted. "What's it for?"

Natsu's eyes widened, and Lucy, realizing the idiot would probably blurt out something stupid, jumped in with a quick answer.

"It's not an outside mission so much as a personal one," Lucy said, glancing at Natsu. She wasn't sure how much he was okay with anyone else knowing about his dream, and Lucy didn't want to overstep her bounds. "Natsu dreamed about a few things about his life before he met Igneel, and we'd like to go searching for what he remembered."

Makarov looked surprised, and he looked an increasingly uncomfortable Natsu in the eye. "Really? After all these years?"

Mutely, Natsu nodded.

"And where exactly do you plan to start searching?" The guild master asked carefully. Lucy didn't have an answer to that, so she looked to Natsu. He looked a little less tongue-tied now, a little more confident.

"In towns around the area where Igneel found me wandering, like Gracepoint, Herondale, and Oria," he answered quickly. "I don't remember which one I came from, but I figure if we ask around, we could find something."

Makarov nodded slowly, turning things over in his head. He looked back to Natsu. "I assume because you're here so early, you don't want the other members of your team joining you?"

Natsu shook his head, looked confused, then nodded. Lucy sighed inwardly.

"And please don't tell 'em where we've gone," Natsu continued. "I don't really care about the other stuff, just don't say where we went."

Lucy smiled fondly. "That's right. Knowing Wendy, Gray, and Erza, they'd probably chase us across half of Fiore in order to join this mission."

Natsu smiled as well for a moment before it faded. "I just have this feeling that it should be me, Happy, and Lucy, Gramps."

"Aye," Happy answered quietly from his perch on Natsu's shoulder. Makarov looked at them for another moment before finally nodding.

"Fine, you can go," he said wearily. "But try not to cause too much damage, should you find something foul at your destination. This isn't an actual mission, so I can't take responsibility for it."

Natsu nodded eagerly. "Will do, Gramps!" He turned to Lucy. "Well? Let's get going! I'm all fired up now!"

With that, the Salamander practically ran out the door with Lucy on his heels.

Gramps sighed as the sinking feeling that Natsu had not listened to a single word he'd said about not causing destruction coursed through his mind.

Apology letters, here he came.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow. This didn't come a month late like my other chapter stories seem to be doing. Wonderful! Although, this is the second short chapter in a row. Sorry about that. I'm really not all that great at writing long chapters, as they start to feel like they're being dragged out.**

 **On a different note, I've gotten further in the anime. I'm on episode 10 of the 2014 series now, so that's cool. I don't have as much time as I'd like to watch as much anime as I'd like, but oh well. I'll live.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please leave your thoughts in the reviews!**


	3. Book One: Memory, Ch3

Natsu becoming motion sick on the train to Oria most certainly did _not_ come as a surprise. He did, however, seem to be holding up better than he usually did on such long trips. Lucy watched her green-faced friend in concern, but Natsu just stared out the window as the open countryside passed them by, holding his stomach. Lucy figured the lack of moaning and groaning came as a result of having a serious, personal quest to focus on.

 _This quest must mean a lot to him_ , Lucy thought, _if his determination to find his mom outweighs his weak stomach._

She smiled, laughing softly. Natsu turned his head to look at her. "Whatcha laughin' for?"

"Nothing important," Lucy reassured him. He stared at her a moment further before looking out the window again. Perhaps the only troubling thing about this personal quest was Natsu's silence. Three hours on the train, and the Dragon Slayer had barely said three words to Lucy. That was definitely unlike him, and it had Lucy worried. Even when he was motion sick during a train or wagon ride, Natsu still complained and argued like nobody's business.

But Lucy knew _why_ he was acting like this. She just wished he would talk to her about it.

Ah, but Lucy was forgetting. Natsu wasn't exactly the smartest cookie on the plate, so it might take even him a while to figure out was going on inside his own strange mind.

Well, that, and the motion sickness probably wasn't helping anything. Natsu wouldn't speak much unless he wanted sympathy for his condition or was indignant over some comment over his weakness.

Lucy watched him, still concerned. The quiet was very unlike him, and it was beginning to unsettle her. She glanced down at her lap, where Happy was fast asleep. Lucy wished the blue cat would wake up. Natsu's goofy best friend was sure to cheer him up in a matter of seconds.

In her lap, Happy stretched and yawned, blinking up at her tiredly. He officially had the best timing.

"Lucy?" Yawn. "Are we there yet?"

Lucy shook her head. "Not yet, Happy. Sorry."

Happy made a noncommittal noise and sat up, looking around. The Exceed watched Natsu for a moment before speaking, leaping across to Natsu's bench and touching his arm.

"Natsu, you okay?"

The pyro grinned down at his friend. "Hey pal! Yeah, I'm cool. I just wanna get off this damned train!"

Happy sighed, relieved that Natsu was acting at least semi-normal. "That's good. You looked really gloomy from where I was sitting."

"Nah, I was just thinkin'!"

Lucy sweatdropped. "Well, don't hurt yourself, flame-brain."

Natsu glared at her indignantly. "Hey! Why'd ya call me what Ice Pick calls me, huh?"

"Because Gray isn't here, and _someone's_ gotta keep you honest. Might as well be me." Lucy smirked at him. "Besides. It's not like Gray's actually _wrong_. Calling you "flame-brain" is like calling you "hothead," which, even without your fire magic, would accurately describe you. So get over it!"

Lucy really wasn't teasing him because she wanted to "keep him honest." She was just glad to see him acting somewhat like himself, and wanted to keep it that way. Fortunately, it was considerably easy to do just that.

Natsu frowned at her, apparently struggling for words. Before he could he even try to get them out, however, his face turned a slightly darker shade of green, and he covered his mouth. Lucy giggled, and Happy patted Natsu's arm sympathetically.

"You're pathetic," Lucy laughed, though not unkindly. Natsu made a rather childish face at her, though Lucy thought she could see a hint of a smile behind his hand. There. They were approaching normality at last.

Know what else they were approaching?

 _All passengers, please note that we are quickly approaching Oria station. Please prepare for disembarking. We hope you have enjoyed the trip, and don't forget that when it comes to traveling, Bane Rails are the way to go! We hope you'll use our services again!_

Natsu groaned. "Not bloody likely," he muttered miserably.

"You say that every time," Happy said happily.

Natsu suddenly looked confused. "Wait," he said, more to himself than to Happy or Lucy. " _Bane Rails_?"

Lucy looked over at him. "Natsu? You okay?"

The question seemed to bring him out of his thoughts. "I... yeah. It's just that... I feel like I've heard that name before. Bane Rails. I just don't know where I've heard it."

Lucy thought a minute. "Well," she said slowly. "Bane Rails is one of the most-used railways there is. One of the most popular, too. Maybe you've read it in the newspaper or something."

Natsu shook his head. "Nah, I don't read the newspaper." Lucy blanched here, thinking to herself that _of course_ Natsu didn't read the paper. She should've known that. "I've heard it somewhere else. It's like..." His pink eyebrows furrowed as he struggled to find the right words.

"An echo," Natsu finally said, looking satisfied. "An echo from a long time ago." He looked over to Lucy. "Does that make sense?"

Lucy nodded. "I understand. I've had that kind of thing happen to me once or twice. This might be something else you're remembering from when you were little, but you can't quite get at all of it."

Natsu shrugged, looking troubled. "I guess..."

There was silence for a few more minutes, and Lucy watched as Oria slowly grew bigger and bigger. Suddenly, Natsu brought his fist down on the bench beside him. Lucy looked at him, startled. "What's wrong now?"

"I can't get the memory," he snapped, and Lucy jumped. Only once before had he ever snapped at her like that, and it had been concerning Lisanna back when everyone still thought she was dead.

"It's at the edge of my brain, and I can't reach it! I hate it!"

"Calm down," Lucy said soothingly after a moment. "I'm sure it'll come eventually. And when it does, you'll have the answers you need."

Natsu looked at her, and Lucy was startled by the hopeless look in his eyes. That look didn't belong there. "How do you get at memories that won't come, Luce?"

Surprised by the nickname, but not incensed, it took Lucy a moment to respond. "I just stop thinking so hard about it. I keep it at the edge of my thoughts, and eventually, it comes to me."

Natsu groaned, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his face. "But that won't work for me! I'll just forget all about it if I do that!"

Lucy frowned sadly. In most cases, _knowing thyself_ was considered a good thing. Who knew it could cause some people such pain? Natsu was well aware of his terrible memory, and most of the time, he just didn't care because he had friends to remind him. But this wasn't something someone else could just remember for him. Natsu had to remember it for himself, or else the memory would be lost.

Carefully, Lucy stood from her bench and sat by Natsu, putting a consoling arm around his shoulder like she had the previous night.

"You won't forget," Lucy said confidently.

Natsu looked at her in unconcealed astonishment. "How can you say that? I'd forget my own name if everyone wasn't constantly yelling it at me!"

Lucy resisted the urge to smile. Now was not the time, even if it was probably true. "That doesn't matter," she said. "You won't forget about this. This is different."

Natsu just looked at her, and again, there was that awful hopelessness.

"This mission is already changing you, Natsu. The entire time, you've been quiet and thoughtful. And when you slept last night, you didn't forget. You won't forget your mom, not a second time. Because you want to hold on to her with everything you have, even if you don't realize it."

A moment of silence, which seemed to be becoming more and more common as of late. Then Natsu smiled. "You know what, Luce? I think you're right."

"Oh, I'm definitely right," Lucy said, smiling as she returned to her own seat. "Trust yourself a little, okay? I mean, you already do that. You trust your power, and that's good. But maybe learn to trust your brain a little too."

Natsu grinned in response, but then seemed to realize that the train was still moving and was instantly jerked back into another round of motion sickness. Lucy laughed along with Happy, both of whom realized that the train would soon be coming to a halt in the station, but felt no need to tell their sick companion.

Lucy sighed, looking out the window. Oria was only a mile away now, and the train was slowing down. Soon they would be arriving, and hopefully, they would find something about Natsu's parents, sooner rather than later.

What neither Natsu nor Lucy realized, however, was just how much trouble would be awaiting them in Oria.

* * *

 **A/N: What's up, guys? I'm glad to be updating! And updates should be coming a little more regularly now, I hope, because I've gotten the entire story line physically written down! It took me four pages, so obviously I didn't go super into detail. But I'm excited to start working on the next few chapters!**

 **Also, hopefully, I'll be able to start getting up my series of Fairy Tail drabbles soon, if anyone's interested. They're mostly shipping prompts, so it'll mostly be NaLu, mixed in with some Gajevy, Gruvia, Erza/Jellal (wtf even is the ship name?) and who knows, maybe some Baccana, lol.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter! Thanks to the people who have followed, favorited, and reviewed! Please leave a review for a faster chapter update (*guiltily and badly blackmails readers*)!**


	4. Book Two: Oria, Ch1

Lucy knew the minute they stepped off the train that something was wrong. Natsu didn't notice a thing, but Natsu was Natsu. But Happy floated by Lucy's head, an unhappy look on his feline face.

"It's too quiet," he murmured in Lucy's ear, and she nodded. Yes, it certainly was. The streets were dusty and unkempt, and the houses were all but falling apart. There were people, but they were all silent and grim.

Yes, something was very off.

Natsu only seemed to notice when a shrill scream pierced the air. He was off in a moment to find the source, and it was all Happy and Lucy could do to keep up. They rounded a corner, only to run into a small crowd. A few people formed a loose circle around a tall man, standing over a tiny girl.

The girl was crying, and the man had such a look of pure cruelty on his face that Lucy almost wanted to cry herself.

"Get outta my way, little street waif! You got no right to stand in my way, especially when I gotta take my sweet revenge on that little brother of yours!"

The tears stopped, and the girl straightened herself. She held out her arms, and Lucy realized she was guarding someone. The little brother the man mentioned, it had to be.

"I won't let you near him," the girl said in a shaking voice, and the man sneered.

"Try to stop me," he snarled, drawing back his boot and swinging it forward.

Natsu tackled him just before the boot struck, and Lucy rushed over and got to her knees by the girl's side. Now that she was closer, she could see the even younger boy huddling behind his sister's dress.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, and the girl nodded, her face once again crumpling. Lucy held both her and her brother tightly, watching as Natsu beat half the shit out of the man who'd threatened such young children.

All of the townspeople from the crowd had turned around and left, evidently not wanting to be found at such a rough scene by the undoubtedly approaching police or resident magical guild. Natsu continued punching the man, pure rage in his features.

"Natsu," Happy said quietly after a moment, wanting his friend to stop. Natsu didn't hear him.

"Natsu!" The exceed flew forward, catching at the flying fist.

The dragon slayer blinked, glancing back at his terrified friend.

"Natsu, you have to stop! If you hit him anymore you'll kill him!"

Slowly, Natsu began to regain his bated breath. He relaxed his arm, and Happy released his fist with a relieved sigh. "Thank you."

Natsu ungraciously dropped the unconscious, bleeding man to the ground, walked over to Lucy and the children, and kneeled beside them.

"Are ya guys alright?" he asked them softly, and they nodded. "Good."

Lucy looked down at the little girl.

"You were very brave, you know," she told the child. "Trying to protect your brother like that."

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Do ya think so?"

"M-hm," Lucy affirmed. "Do you mind telling me why he was angry in the first place, though?"

The little girl scuffed her foot against the ground nervously, playing with her hands. "We... might've tried stealing from him..."

Lucy blinked, sharing a concerned look with Natsu. "Why would you steal from him? He looks dangerous!"

The boy nodded. "He is! He's with Cráneo Azul, the dark guild that took over this town! We were tryna steal his magic cards!"

Natsu's expression darkened, and Lucy was suddenly reminded of how much her friend disliked dark guilds. It wasn't even mostly because they misused their magic. It was because in dark guilds, the members didn't treat each other like family. And that meant everything to Natsu.

"How do you know he uses cards?" Happy asked the kids, and Lucy knew she wasn't the only one thinking about Cana.

Tears silently slipped down the girl's cheeks. "Because we watched him use them to kill our parents."

The boy continued. "We thought if we took them from him, he wouldn't be able to use them to hurt someone again."

They both fell silent, and Lucy herself was too shocked to speak. She dared to look up and see Natsu's face, and was almost frightened by what she saw. Pure, unadulterated rage.

"Natsu," she said softly, and that seemed to pull him out of the haze he was in. He smiled down at her wanly. "I'm fine, Luce."

 _Yeah, sure_ , she thought, but she didn't say it. She turned back to the children.

"Do you guys have anywhere to stay? You haven't just been living out here, have you?"

The little girl hesitated. "We have been living on the streets, but only cause we wanted to find _him_." She nodded toward the Cráneo Azul member. "We do have an aunt on the other side of town, though."

"Well, why don't we go find her, hmm?" Lucy stood, taking each of their hands. "Natsu, Happy and I will come with you to make sure you get there okay."

The two kids nodded happily, and began leading Lucy into the street.

"Wait." Lucy glanced back to see Natsu kneel beside the unconscious man and start digging through his pockets.

"Natsu! What're you looking for?"

He didn't answer for moment, though he seemingly found what he was looking for. The dragon slayer produced it, holding it out. It was the dark mage's pack of cards.

"How do ya think Cana would feel about some new cards?"

Lucy shook her head. "They're a dark mage's cards. They have different uses than Cana's do. It's not likely she'll be able to use them."

Natsu frowned. "Oh crap. Guess she doesn't get a Christmas gift after all!" He incinerated the card pack with a flick of his wrist, then continued down the alley to Lucy's side.

She smiled at him. "It's the thought that counts, you know."

"Yeah, I know." He looked down at the kids. "So! Where's your aunt's house at?"

About ten minutes later, with only a little meandering, Lucy, Happy and Natsu found themselves at the door of a small but charming and upkept house. This neighborhood seemed nicer than the one they had been in before. It was cleaner, and the houses looked nicer. But the people were still quiet.

The children Lucy held by the hands were growing more nervous by the minute. Natsu put out a hand and knocked.

A moment later, a pretty, though worried-looking woman answered the door and almost immediately swept her niece and nephew into her arms.

"Oh, my dears, I'm so glad you're okay! Where have you been? Why didn't you come find me when your parents died?"

The kids looked at each other for a moment, and Lucy could almost hear their resolve to each other to not tell their aunt why they hadn't found her.

"We just, um, wanted a little time to ourselves," the little girl answered. "We always planned to come and find you, but not for a little while. Miss Lucy and Natsu convinced us to come find you, and that you be worried sick."

Natsu's mouth opened, confusion written all over his face, but Happy subtly smacked him upside the head. Because, of course, Lucy and Natsu had said no such thing, but the kids needed a good excuse to have not come home, and this was the best they were going to get.

Thankfully, Natsu kept his mouth shut.

The woman looked at the two mages gratefully. "Oh, thank you so much for bringing them home to me! You don't know what it means!"

Lucy smiled back at her. "Really, it was no trouble. We're just in town to collect some information, but we saw the kids in the street and decided to take them home."

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh, you're just visiting? Do you have a place to stay? I've got a few spare beds."

"No, no, that's okay, ma'am," Lucy said immediately, trying to placate her. "I'm sure we can just find a hotel or something. We wouldn't dream of imposing on you!"

She looked at Natsu for help, but found none. In fact, he was beginning to look bored and impatient.

"Not at all! I wouldn't let the people who brought my family home to me be cheated by those scoundrels from Cráneo Azul. They run the hotel, you know. They run every business here. Everything is overpriced, and sometimes it's even just plain expensive! You two and your cat are staying here, away from all that!"

"B-but ma'am!"

The lady raised her eyebrow playfully. "Do I have to break out my "Mom" voice, young lady? Because you're staying here, and that's final!"

Lucy just blinked at her in shock, truthfully not having heard the "Mom" voice since her mother died. Natsu had never heard it at all (if you didn't count Erza, which he didn't), so he was just amused.

"What's the big deal, Lucy? Why not just stay here, rather than waste all our Jewel on an overpriced hotel room?" He strutted in after the lady and the kids, pulling the still surprised Lucy by the hand. Happy floated in after them, perching on Natsu's head and letting his wings disappear when they paused in the entryway.

Once inside, the lady gestured toward the couch and told the mages to sit down.

"Deanna and Sam are upstairs taking showers. They'll be with us shortly, I think."

"And you, ma'am?" Lucy asked. "What's your name?"

"Ah, my name is Daphne Blake-Jones. And I know your names are Natsu and Lucy, correct?"

Both mages nodded. Daphne looked at the exceed on Natsu's head. "And your name is...?"

"I'm Happy!" the blue cat told her. "But how did you know I could talk?"

"A while back, when I was visiting another town, I ran into a few little flying cats like you. Lector and Frosch, their names were. Oh, Frosch was an absolute darling!"

Lucy smiled. Frosch certainly was that.

"So," Daphne said, plopping down in the rocking chair across from the couch. "What brings you two into town? You said you're looking for information?"

Natsu nodded. "About my parents. We know they came from somewhere in this area, but we're not sure which town. We want to look through birth records and talk to a few people to see if we can find anything."

Daphne nodded slowly, listening.

"Well," she said, thinking. "Like I told you before, the Cráneo Azul controls everything in this town. It will be difficult to get the information you want from their members. They are cruel, and for no reason more often than not. It is unlikely they will willingly give you anything."

"Then we'll just have to take 'em out! We were goin' to anyway, but now we _have_ to!"

Daphne looked at him in puzzlement. "Dear, how will _you_ be able to stop them? They're dark mages! And once you attack one or two of them, the whole guild will likely come after you!"

Natsu grinned widely, showing her the dull red guild mark on his shoulder. Lucy proudly held up her right hand, emblazoned with a pink guild mark.

"We're wizards of Fairy Tail, Daphne," Lucy told her firmly. "And we're going to get your town back!"

Daphne looked more than a little taken aback to say the least, but a slow smile started to form on her face.

"Fairy Tail," she murmured to herself. "Fairy Tail is here!"

She brought her attention back to them. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. I've heard so many wonderful stories about Fairy Tail over the years. I wish you luck in both your quest and what you're about to do for this town. But for now, how about something to eat?"

Natsu and Happy immediately perked up, and Lucy sighed internally.

"I hope you know these two are about to eat you into bankruptcy," she told Daphne, who only laughed and said it was fine.

"I'm a little better off than most of the other townspeople because I own several independent farms over twenty miles away from Oria. My money comes in from outside town, and Cráneo Azul has no influence there."

Lucy smiled at that, then at the two freshly-scrubbed children who came running down the stairs. Deanna looked brighter and healthier now that she wasn't covered in the dust and dirt of the street. Her hair was a beautiful golden color, brighter than Lucy's own, and it shone like the sun now that it was brushed out.

Sam was just as clean, and his longer, darker hair hung all about his ears and face in wet tangles. He hadn't bothered to brush his hair, Lucy noted with a smile. They were both cute kids, and they belonged in a safe place like this.

Soon enough, the table was set and there was plenty of food for everyone. The children talked and laughed loudly with Happy and Natsu, and Lucy and Daphne talked a little quieter and laughed at the ridiculousness of everyone else.

Then it was time for the kids to go to bed, and Lucy and Natsu stayed downstairs waiting for Daphne. Happy fell asleep in Lucy's lap, and she gently petted the space between his ears while she listened for Daphne's footsteps on the creaky stairs.

Finally, she came down.

"Sorry for making you two wait, but Sam wanted me to sing him to sleep. Sometimes I forget he's only five. But I think we need to discuss what your plans are for tomorrow."

Lucy nodded. "I don't think we should just go in swinging. I want to try and get information out of them before that, and save the beating for later. There might be someone within the dark guild who could help us, but we won't ever find that out if he or she is beaten to a pulp."

Natsu groaned at that, but Daphne nodded slowly.

"That makes sense, actually. I know you're angry at the guild, Natsu, but you need to think about your quest first. The original reason you came here."

"But what about you guys?!" he asked. "Ya shouldn't have ta live with these bastards controlling your town!"

Daphne smiled at him gently.

"We've lived under their control for a long while, Natsu. We can last a day or so more. This town is strong, and we will continue to be. So get what you need, and then help us. Sound good?"

Natsu nodded reluctantly.

"Fine. I guess we should go see the guild master tomorrow, then. His goons wouldn't give us the time of day, but if we introduce ourselves to the master, we might have better luck."

Lucy blinked, not having expected Natsu to come up with a plan that might actually work. That didn't involve violence. But she remembered that Natsu was actually a little bit smarter than he let on.

"Perfect," Daphne said, clapping her hands softly. "I'll show you two where you'll be sleeping, and I'll leave you alone for the night."

She stood, leading Natsu and Lucy, who had handed the sleeping Happy to Natsu, up the stairs and down the hall. At the end, there were two rooms, one on the left and the other on the right.

Lucy peeked into the one on the right, and saw little Sam asleep in his small bed. She smiled at the sight, then followed Daphne into the other room. There were two beds, one of which had already been taken by Natsu. His hands were folded beneath his head, and he stared up at the ceiling.

"Goodnight," Daphne whispered, then retreated down the hall and went into her own room.

Lucy sat on the edge of her own bed, watching her dragon slayer quietly. "You alright, Natsu?"

"Hmm?" He turned his head to look at her. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"What're you thinking' about?" Lucy tucked her knees against her chest, staring down at the sleeping Happy, who had one of Natsu's pillow on the floor.

"That memory I can't get at."

"Bane Rails," Lucy said softly, letting herself fall to the side and onto her pillow. "You'll get it eventually, Natsu. Just give yourself time."

"I hope you're right, Luce. I think it's important, important enough to help me find my mom." Then, almost quietly she couldn't hear it, "Important enough to forget."

Lucy sighed into the darkness, feeling sad for her friend. She wanted him to find what he was looking for, but somehow she had a feeling that it wouldn't be that easy.

She sat up and began to search through her bag for something more suitable to sleep in. Finding it, she stood. Natsu still watched her, and Lucy flushed.

"Shut your eyes, you perv, I'm changing!"

"Change somewhere else, then!" he said defensively, too loudly.

"Shush!" Lucy listened for noises across the hall, but heard only stirring. "You're going to wake Sam up!"

He glanced through the still-open door across the hall, watching and listening.

"He's fine," Natsu said quietly after a moment. "Still sleepin'."

Lucy sighed, relieved.

"Now look away," she commanded. Natsu rolled his eyes, but he slid his arm over the top half of his face anyway. Quickly, she changed out of her clothes and stuffed them into her bag.

"You can look now."

His arm didn't move, and Lucy wondered whether he was sleeping. She approached his bed, hand out, but before she reached him, she heard a voice.

"Miss Lucy?"

Her name was half whispered in the dark. Lucy looked up to see a very sleepy Sam standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. She walked toward him, concern in her own.

"You alright, Sam? What're you doing out of bed? Natsu didn't wake you up, did he?"

Sam shook his head. "I had to potty and I saw you awake."

Lucy thought he seemed hesitant, like he wanted to ask something.

"What is it?"

"Will you tuck me in?"

Lucy laughed softly, reaching forward and taking his small hand. "Of course, Sam."

She led him back to his room, where he climbed back in bed, and Lucy tucked the covers around him. All the while, Sam couldn't seem to stop staring at her, and she finally asked him about it.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "It's just that... you look a lot like my mommy."

Lucy blinked, surprised, but she understood. He'd only lost his mom a little while ago, and to find that there was someone in the world who looked suspiciously like her had to be jarring.

"It's alright, Sammy. You don't have to apologize for that."

He was quiet for a moment. "Mommy used to call me Sammy..."

"Sorry-"

"It's okay," he told her. "No one else calls me that anymore, I miss it. You can call me it."

Lucy frowned slightly. "Are you sure? That's something between you and your mom, don't you want to keep it that way?"

Sam shook his head. "I miss it."

They were both silent again for a few minutes.

"Will you sing to me?"

Lucy smiled. "Sure, Sammy."

" _Close your eyes, lay your head down. Now it's time to sleep._

 _May you find great adventure as you lie and dream._

 _If you're scared of the darkness, I will calm your fear._

 _There's a light in the hallway, so you know I'm here._

 _So count your blessings every day. It makes the monsters go away._

 _And everything will be okay._

 _You are not alone._

 _You are right at home._

 _Good night, oh, good night. "_

The boy was asleep, and Lucy stood from her seat carefully so as not to wake him and went back to her and Natsu's room. She stopped by Natsu's bed once again, finding that he still hadn't moved his arm.

"Natsu?" she whispered, touching his wrist. He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her toward him, and into his bed. Her face flushed, feeling Natsu wrap his arms around her.

"Natsu!"

"Stay with me tonight, Luce," he breathed in her ear, and she nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello! I'm sorry I took so long to update, I really am. I've been really busy, searching for colleges, looking up college courses, trying to find scholarships, and trying to get an internship at my public library. Plus high school. That too.**

 **Still, I'm sorry. I've been writing a bunch of short drabbles for Fairy Tail lately if you wanna check 'em out. Not that those count as this.**

 **Also, if you noticed, there's been a title change! I found a title I thought fit better. I've been doing this with a few stories lately. It's weird.**

 **Also, I put some references to other shows and books in this chapter. If you spot them, shout 'em out in the reviews. I'll send you a sneak peek if you do!**

 **Also also, the song at the end is "Light in the Hallway," recorded by Pentatonix and written by Avi Kaplan. Can't let that go uncredited. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Author's Note: Hiatus

Sorry it's been so long since there's been an update, y'all. I really didn't mean for it to be. But instead of leaving anybody who's following to wonder if I'm dead or if I've just abandoned this or something, I decided to give you an update.

So. Life is crazy right now. My Junior year of high school is quickly coming to an end, and I don't really have any time to write, despite how much I want to. My life is a crazy jumble of going to school an hour early for choir, leaving an hour after school ends because of extracurricular activities, going to my dad's house for five or so hours, where there's always homework to be done on the Internet, then going back home to my mom's at a rather late hour, where there is no Wi-Fi for research for stories and whatnot, getting my chores done, then going to bed.

Adding the fact that I've got a 200-point research paper on Harry Houdini that's got to be done in a few days, I don't have any free time. I literally _cannot_ , meaning it's completely _impossible_ (according to the teacher), to pass the trimester if I don't do well on this paper. So I'm trying to focus on that, as well as a few other things.

Once all of this craziness is over, the hiatus still won't end. I've got some story ideas that are, I think, blocking ideas for this story. It's hard to write chapters for a longer story when ideas for other things keep blocking the way. So I'm going to do my best to survive this school year. Then, during the summer, I'm going to, hopefully, write everything that's blocking the way and post those things. After that, I'm going to just write out the rest of this story so you all won't have to wait ridiculously long amounts of time for the next update.

I'm not sure how long all of that will take me, so please have patience while you wait for the next chapter! I'll do my absolute best to get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this since I've been gone! It means a lot!


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